lithe

lithe · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*lentos
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*linþaz
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*linþ(ī)
4. Old English · inherited fromlīþe“gentle, mild”
5. Middle English · inherited fromlithe
6. English todaylithe

From Middle English lithe, from Old English līþe (“gentle, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *linþ(ī), from Proto-Germanic *linþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lentos. Akin to Saterland Frisian lied (“thin, skinny, gaunt”), Danish, Dutch, and archaic German lind (“mild”). Some sources also list Latin lenis (“soft”) and/or Latin lentus (“supple”) as possible cognates.

lithe · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*lento-“bendsome, resilient”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*linþijaną“to soften”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*linþijan
4. Old English · inherited fromlīþian
5. Middle English · inherited fromlithen
6. English todaylithe

From Middle English lithen, from Old English līþian, līþigian, līþegian (“to soften, calm, mitigate, assuage, appease, be mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *linþijan, from Proto-Germanic *linþijaną (“to soften”), from Proto-Indo-European *lento- (“bendsome, resilient”). Cognate with German lindern (“to alleviate, ease, relieve”).

lithe · verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ḱlew-“to hear”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*hliuþijaną“to listen”
3. Old Norse · derived fromhlýða“to listen”
4. Middle English · inherited fromlithen
5. English todaylithe

From Middle English lithen, from Old Norse hlýða (“to listen”), from Proto-Germanic *hliuþijaną (“to listen”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Danish lytte (“to listen”). Related to Old English hlēoþor (“noise, sound, voice, song, hearing”), Old English hlūd (“loud, noisy, sounding, sonorous”). More at loud.

lithe · noun⁴

Uncertain; perhaps an alteration of lewth.

lithe · verb⁵

1. Old English · inherited fromlīþan“to assuage, mitigate, soften”
2. Middle English · inherited fromlithen“to make gentle or mild; to relax, soothe”
3. English todaylithe

From Middle English lithen (“to make gentle or mild; to relax, soothe”), from Old English līþan (“to assuage, mitigate, soften”), from līþe (“lithe, gentle”).

Words from the same roots